Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerThe Melton sisters, from left to right, Quadria, 9, Nijaya , 13, Joy, 11 and Rajiah, 10, stand next to their mother Joy in front of their home in East Orange. The girls are going to camp this summer courtesy of the Fresh Air Fund.

EAST ORANGE — The first time, they were homeless for three months. Another eviction led to another round of sleepless nights, bouncing from one friend of a friend’s home to another.

After six months, Joy Melton and her four girls — Nijaya, 13, Joi, 11, Rajiah, 10, and Quadria, 9 — settled into a house in East Orange last October.

Melton decided to apply to the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund, which provides financial assistance for inner-city kids to attend summer camp, because she felt her daughters needed an outlet.

"They’ve been through so much trauma," she said.

The four girls will be headed to Camp Lenoloc this month at Bear Mountain State Park in New York. The girls are cheerleaders and love to dance, play the piano and sing. They said they’re excited to explore the woods.

"This camp will be the first time I’ll go hiking," said the oldest, Nijaya.

Melton is glad her daughters will spend time away from the bad influences she sees on the streets in her neighborhood.

"I think it’s great," she said. "It gives kids something they can do other than just sitting around and look at the people on the news getting shot, or playing out in the street. Some of the kids’ mouths out here ... Boy! I’ll take a double look."

Although they’re now living in a house, times are still hard for the family. People still walk through their yard, thinking the home is abandoned. Two weeks after moving in, Melton learned there were elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the house. She said firefighters came and put an oxygen mask on her face.

"They had to open up all the windows," Melton said of the problem that was caused by a water heater. "They wouldn’t even let me back in the house."

Her girls have had to surmount numerous obstacles in their young lives, she said, but they are strong.

"Somebody said that, ‘You never know you’re going through something, because your kids are always happy.’ We pray, we laugh. We make the best out of it. I always tell them things are going to get better. They’ve got to get better."

The Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund depends on your efforts to assist needy children and their families. Names of contributors will be published in The Sunday Star-Ledger until all have been acknowledged. Donations are tax-deductible. Send checks to: